Anglo American's Cynthia Carroll - one to back in a fight

When Cynthia Carroll’s appointment at chief executive of Anglo American was
announced in 2006, there were plenty who bet she wouldn’t last long.

Cynthia Carroll has been at the helm at Anglo American for nearly five years.Photo: David Rose

By Louise Armitstead

11:26AM GMT 08 Feb 2011

Blonde and petite, she was the first female chief executive Anglo American, renowned for being one of the most traditional companies in the world. She was also only the third female boss of a FTSE100 company and Britain’s most senior woman executive.

And then there were the problems at Anglo: she was tasked with restructuring the business amid constant bid speculation.

But “Cyclone Cynthia” set to work and has been at the helm for nearly five years.

She grew up Philadelphia and her interest was sparked by geology classes at school. Her first job was as a petroleum geologist based in Denver, Colorado.

“It was great fun - there were lots of helicopter rides and mountain climbing, searching the ground,” she said in an interview. “I went on to oversee operations like drilling, but then I moved further off into the business side of things -putting deals together, that kind of thing.”

Carroll worked at Alcan Aluminum for 18 years. She ran the packaging business; then moved to Ireland to be managing director of Aughinish Alumina; followed by being appointed president of Alcan Bauxite. Her last job at the Canadian giant was as chief executive of the core metals business, a global business in 20 countries.

Carroll denies she’s a workaholic - she says she can’t be with four teenage children.

Together with her husband, whose background is in finance and who works from home, Carroll moved the family to London when she took the Anglos job.

She's not always been popular with investors but analysts have developed a healthy respect for her. One said: "So far she's proved she's one to back in a fight - let's see what happens this time."